How To Dismantle The American Empire

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Roth Harbard

Jefferson
The WikiLeaks revelations have shined a light on the dark nature of U.S. foreign policy, including, as Eric Margolis recently described it: “Washington’s heavy-handed treatment of friends and foes alike, its bullying, use of diplomats as junior-grade spies, narrow-minded views, and snide remarks about world leaders.”

As much as I, an American, hate to say it, U.S. foreign policy is actually much worse. It is aggressive, reckless, belligerent, and meddling. It sanctions the destabilization and overthrow of governments, the assassination of leaders, the destruction of industry and infrastructure, the backing of military coups, death squads, and drug traffickers, and imperialism under the guise of humanitarianism. It supports corrupt and tyrannical governments and brutal sanctions and embargoes. It results in discord, strife, hatred, and terrorism toward the United States.

The question, then, is simply this: Can U.S. foreign policy be fixed?

Continue reading for the answer …

Posted in Editorial | 1 Comment

Election mode hits the Capitol

Posted on February 12, 2014 by DRenegade

Democrats and Republicans are clearing the decks of dangerous political issues that could sink their chances in the midterm elections.

This unusually cautious approach comes nine months before Election Day and illustrates how both parties are reluctant to tackle anything that doesn’t poll well. With the battle for control of the Senate projected to be extremely close, neither side wants to drift into a sudden political storm.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who is likely to hold his majority in the House, made clear Tuesday he does not want to squander his political capital in another vicious fiscal fight.

The GOP’s approval rating dropped to historically low levels in October, after a conservative rebellion helped lead to a government shutdown.

Last week, Boehner all but pronounced immigration reform — another dangerous issue for the GOP — dead for the remainder of 2014.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is using the same playbook.

More…

Posted in Editorial, Elections | 1 Comment

Voter ID – Rev. Barber

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN4nUS7lr8c

posted July 13, 2011

Posted in Editorial, Elections | Tagged | Comments Off on Voter ID – Rev. Barber

Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Greta van Susteren and Rev. Barber

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0UyiNTr9TE

Posted in Editorial, Health Care | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Sniper Rounds for Immigration & Customs Enforcement?

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

Hornady .308 Win 168gr A-MAX TAP Ammunition

Solicitation Number: HSCEMS-14-Q-00004
Agency: Department of Homeland Security
Office: Immigration & Customs Enforcement
Location: ICE-OAQ-MS
:
HSCEMS-14-Q-00004
:
Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
:
Added: Feb 07, 2014 8:12 am

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation Number HSCEMS-14-Q-00004 is hereby issued as a Request for Quote (RFP) to procure Hornady .308 Winchester 168gr A-MAX TAP Ammunition, (P/N: 80965).
The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 332992, Ammunition Manufacturing and the Small Business Size Standard is no more than 1,000 employees. This acquisition is not a small business set-aside. The award is for a firm-fixed price Purchase Order (PO) with a delivery date of 120 days after receipt of order (ARO).

REQUIREMENT:
Quantity of order is for approximately 141,160 rounds of ammunition (7,058 boxes) of Hornady .308 Winchester 168gr A-MAX TAP Ammunition (P/N: 80965).

More…

Posted in 2nd Amendment, Domestic Enemies, Editorial | Comments Off on Sniper Rounds for Immigration & Customs Enforcement?

From Michelle Obama with Love

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

From Michelle Obama’s Twitter account:

Embedded image permalink

Even the dogs are eating well in the White House. But this baiting by Michelle will not be forgotten.

David DeGerolamo

021214.jpg

http://daybydaycartoon.com/

Posted in Editorial | 2 Comments

No Janet Yellen, The Economy Is NOT “Getting Better”

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

Janet Yellen

By Michael Snyder

On Tuesday, new Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen went before Congress and confidently declared that “the economic recovery gained greater traction in the second half of last year” and that “substantial progress has been made in restoring the economy to health”.  This resulted in glowing headlines throughout the mainstream media such as this one from USA Today: “Yellen: Economy is improving at moderate pace“.  Sadly, tens of millions of Americans are going to believe what the mainstream media is telling them.  But it isn’t the truth.  As you will see below, there are all sorts of signs that the economy is taking a turn for the worse.  And when the next great economic crisis does strike, most Americans will be completely and totally unprepared because they trusted our “leaders” when they told us that everything would be just fine.

It is amazing how deceived people can be.  Just consider the case of 56-year-old Brian Perry.  He is a former law clerk that has applied fornearly 1,500 jobs since 2008 without any success.  But he says that he is “optimistic” that he will get another job soon because he believes that the economy is recovering…

By his own count, Brian Perry has applied for nearly 1,500 jobs since being let go as a law clerk in 2008. The 56-year old Perry lives in Rhode Island, where the 9.1 percent unemployment rate is 2.5 percentage points above the national average.

Perry remains optimistic that a job is forthcoming. He thinks a more robust economy would create better opportunities for the long-term unemployed like him.

More…

Posted in Editorial, Financial | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Balancing the Budget? Or Adding A National Sales Tax To The Income Tax?

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

By Publius Huldah

The stated purpose of Compact for America, Inc. is to get a balanced budget amendment (BBA) ratified.  Here is their proposed BBA.  State Legislators recently introduced it inArizona. 1

The gap between what this BBA pretends to do – and what it actually does – is enormous. It has nothing to do with “balancing the budget” – it is about slipping in a new national sales tax or value-added tax in addition to the existing federal income tax.

We have become so shallow that we look no further than a name – if it sounds good, we are all for it.  We hear, “balanced budget amendment”, and think, “I have to balance my budget; they should have to balance theirs.”  So we don’t read the amendment, we just assume they will have to balance theirs the same way we balance ours – by cutting spending.

But that is not what the BBA does.  In effect, it redefines “balancing the budget” to mean spending no more than your income plus the additional debt you incur to finance your spending.  To illustrate:  If your income is $100,000 a year; but you spend $175,000 a year, you “balance” your budget by borrowing the additional $75,000.  See?

Under the BBA, Congress may continue to spend whatever it likes and incur as much new debt as it pleases – as long as 26 States agree.  And since the States have become major consumers of federal funding, who doubts that they can’t continue to be bought?  Federal grants make up almost 35% of the States’ annual budgets!  The States areaddicted to federal funds – who thinks they won’t agree to get more money?

The BBA enshrines Debt as a permanent feature of our Country; gives it constitutional approval; does nothing to reduce spending or “balance the budget”; authorizes a new national tax; and wipes out the “enumerated powers” limitation on the federal government.

Let’s look at the BBA, section by section, using plain and honest English.  And then let’s look at how our Framers wrote our Constitution to strictly control federal spending.

More…

Posted in Editorial, Financial | Tagged | Comments Off on Balancing the Budget? Or Adding A National Sales Tax To The Income Tax?

Rural Defense Units and What Popular Opinion Tells Us

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

Guerrillamerica

by Sam Culper III

I keep reading about these ‘Rural Defense Units’ in Mexico, which are forming to protect their communities from drug cartels.  Last month, the Mexican Government passed a law authorizing the Rural Defense Units, essentially the unorganized militia numbering up to 20,000 strong, to participate alongside federal forces in rooting out drug cartel activity.  For a reference, 20,000 Rural Defense Unit members represents less than 0.5% of the population of Michoacan.

La Michoacan is a particularly bad area for drug crime, notorious even when Ciudad Juarez made headline news every week.  And having spent a season in Juarez at the height of the kidnapping/murder sprees by rival drug gangs, I can tell you that’s really saying something about La Micho.

From InSight Crime:

Concerns have been raised about the paramilitary precedent in other countries in the region, and what could happen if the self-defense forces — which possess high-caliber weapons and have refused to hand in unauthorized arms – decide to expand beyond the remit afforded to them by the state.

More…

Posted in Civil Unrest, Editorial | Tagged | Comments Off on Rural Defense Units and What Popular Opinion Tells Us

No More Debt Ceiling: Unlimited Spending Until March 15, 2015

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

boehner2_051012.jpg

The House of Representatives has removed the debt ceiling:

The measure approved by the House does not raise the debt limit by a set amount but does suspend it through March 15, 2015. That buys the Treasury Department the leeway it needs to borrow money to pay for Social Security checks, payments on government debt and paychecks for federal workers. 

If approved by the Senate, one of the most crucial issues for the 2014 election cycle will be off the table. There is no political solution to bankruptcy. This is how Liberty dies: with barely a whimper by the people as their chains are forged in debt. Do you understand why our founding fathers warned us about domestic enemies?

As of the time of this publication, the House Resolution was not given a number:  H.R. _____ .

Update:

Here is the list of  Republicans who voted for the clean debt limit increase:

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio)
Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.)
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.)
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)
Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.)
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.)
Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.)
Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.)
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.)
Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.)
Rep. Michael Grimm (N.Y.)
Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.)
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.)
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)
Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.)
Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.)
Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.)
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.)
Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.)
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.)
Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.)
Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.)
Rep. Jon Runyan (R-N.J.)
Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.)
Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.)
Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.)
Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.)
Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.)

What will it take for America to realize that there is only one party in Washington, D.C.?

David DeGerolamo

House approves increase in debt ceiling with no strings attached, bill heads to Senate

The House voted Tuesday to raise the government’s borrowing limit, as GOP leaders backed down from a potential confrontation with Democrats by declining to seek any concessions in exchange for the increase.

The debt-ceiling bill passed on a 221-201 vote, and now goes to the Senate for final approval.

The vote comes after Republican leaders backed off their strategy of trying to use the debt limit to force spending cuts or other concessions. In 2011, President Obama yielded to similar demands but has since said he would not negotiate with Republicans over the matter.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, swiftly teed up the vote Tuesday after failing to get enough conservative support for a plan that would have tied the debt ceiling measure to one reversing cuts to military pensions. Another failed proposal had tied the debt cap hike to the Keystone pipeline.

More…

Posted in Editorial, Financial | Tagged | Comments Off on No More Debt Ceiling: Unlimited Spending Until March 15, 2015

If We Tell the Truth about Washington, D.C., Will It Also Collapse?

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EpCNE5oYWw

Posted in Editorial | Tagged | Comments Off on If We Tell the Truth about Washington, D.C., Will It Also Collapse?

Rep. Gowdy’s Opening Statement at Asylum Fraud Hearing

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u-d_HE84Dk

Posted in Editorial | Tagged | Comments Off on Rep. Gowdy’s Opening Statement at Asylum Fraud Hearing

Senator Lee Questions Clapper on Whereabouts of Syrian Assistance

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAfjGKIpnWA

Posted in Editorial | Tagged , | Comments Off on Senator Lee Questions Clapper on Whereabouts of Syrian Assistance

Post-Apocalypse Pup: Tips For Prepping Your Dog For SHTF Scenarios

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

Retired Cherry Hill, N.J. school teacher Elaine Braslow loves her now-deceased dog Bentley so much that she keeps the cremated remains in her home. She told Philly.com that funeral arrangements have already been made for her and Bentley to be buried together in the same coffin when her time comes.

Braslow’s love for her dog is not an uncommon phenomenon. Mintel Group, a market research firm, found in a 2009 survey that 76 percent of people with dogs consider them a part of the family. When prepping for economic collapse, acts of God, or worse, you must account for your dog the same way you do every other family member. You will either have to leave the dog behind or take the preparation required to ensure your four-legged companion is not a detriment to your survival seriously.

Prepare A Bug-Out Bag

Your dog will literally have to carry its own weight in a SHTF scenario. Purchase a dog backpack and place everything for the dog in it to make sure it fits. This includes a week’s worth of food that is ready to go at a moment’s notice. The key is to pack light and compact without sacrificing quantity.

Put dog food in Ziploc bags and squeeze out out as much air as possible. Just replace the food and all medical supplies every couple months to ensure freshness. A set of shoes, a sweater and spare leash should also be included in the bag.

Make sure the first-aid kit for your dog contains a de-worming agent and flea treatments. Get the dog a vaccine for canine parvovirus now to minimize the risk of contraction later. Continue reading →

Posted in Editorial, Safety and Preparedness | 1 Comment

A Report from Middle America

Posted on February 11, 2014 by DRenegade

middle america

I was recently involved in a day of meetings with small business owners in the American Midwest. It was both encouraging and sad at the same time.

What I Found First

Overall, I found a large room full of productive human beings. It was uplifting. Most of these people were between thirty and seventy years old, more men than women, and they were all productive people, the kind who get up early every day, make sure that complex systems are producing properly, fix anything that is broken or near breaking, plan for the future, cooperate with large numbers of other people, and then go home at the end of the day and love their families.

If all the world lived like these people, we’d be halfway to a paradise by now. And that was a thought that made me sad.

Why? Because these people – by any standard of decency – should be left alone to create their better world. But instead, they are forcibly tied to wasteful, parasitic, and destructive systems. Half or more of their earnings are taken from them every year. Their actions are restricted by their moral inferiors. They live less than half the rewarding lives they should be enjoying, and for no defensible reason.

The Other Things

Beyond my overall happy/sad impressions, I found quite a few particular things: Continue reading →

Posted in Editorial | Tagged | 1 Comment